my band situation :S

[Arie_TheDispite]

i play bass in a band with three of my best friends, i absolutely love playing with them untill recently, i got really frustrated with my bass playing. i feel like i've gotten stuck at the level i'm at, i can learn most songs without any major problems but i feel like i lack skill in improvisation and there arent any teachers in my town. I also think my bandmates do not appreciate the awesome sound of the bass, they say that the drum and guitar are more important, while in my opinion the drum and the bass are the foundation on which the guitar has to play. do you have any tips how i should make this clear to my bandmates and on how i could improve my improvisation?

[Xanthyr]

Have you and a guitar player just jam for a bit, and have him play a simple chord progression and force eachother to let you play over it until you start to see a pattern that sounds good. Keep woodshedding like this and you'll eventually be confident enough to just think of what you're going to do next and then you'll end up doing improv.

[Lesfunk]

Playing Music in a band to me is a team effort. Everyone supports each other. It's normal for a guitarist to feel that his instrument is a little more important than everyone else cuz it's his.
It's an immature way of looking at it, but not uncommon.
As far as teaching yourself some improv skills, I might suggest listening to some different music than you would normally. It can give you some fresh ideas. Also you might want to pick up Paul Farnen's book on fretboard knowledge. It can really help you visualize what you are playing and help you get around the fingerboard better.

.02 cents. It's a start....

[troy2003]

Forget them-I'm sure you are better than you think you are.They don't seem to be complaining about your chops.Find a teacher-they are out there.Even a music theory teacher.Listen to a lot of cd's.just listen-don't play along,just listen over and over-with headphones on.Listen to what they are doing and not doing.Find a good book to study,Ed Friedland has several great ones that come to mind.Many guitarists are a quirky lot.Yes,they are a big part of the song,but if their rhythm section sucks,they wont sound all that great.

[KRSplat]

To practice improv, whistle all day.

[hbarcat]

Practice at home by yourself. Just you and your bass. As many hours a week that you can spare.